IN PICTURES: The 1975 delivers romantic and theatrical performance in Manila


At a glance

  • For the fifth time, the band is back in the Philippines since their last concert in 2019. The group, composed of Matt Healy, Ross MacDonald, George Daniel, and Adam Hann, gave a memorable performance during the 'At Their Very Best' Manila tour at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City last May 3 and 4.


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Matt Healy

A night to remember with slow and aesthetically pleasing visuals, as the British band The 1975 never fails to surprise their Pinoy fans.

For the fifth time, the band is back in the Philippines since their last concert in 2019. The group, composed of Matt Healy, Ross MacDonald, George Daniel, and Adam Hann, gave a memorable performance during the 'At Their Very Best' Manila tour at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City last May 3 and 4.

But before heading out on stage, another dirty hit artist named Wallice did an opening act where she performed some of her original songs, including, '23,' 'Disappear,' 'Hey Michael,' and 'Best Friend.'

During a roundtable interview before the show, Wallice shared that she was excited to share her music with all the Pinoy fans.

'I can't believe that I get to play, my music and share my music all the way here, and I think that not all artist can do that, and I think this is the biggest show that I have performed to,' she said.

As the lights went dim, the crowd's loudest cheers started filling the arena as the word 'Atpoaim' in script popped up on the screen.

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This is an acronym for "A theatrical performance of an intimate moment," the title of the series of short videos the band has posted on social media.

The screen background showed the four men riding a motorized plush animal before entering the stage while Elvis Presley's song 'Love Me Tender' plays in the background.

Holding a flask and lighting a cigarette, Matt opened the show with their song 'Looking For Somebody (To Love)' from their recent album 'Being Funny In A Foreign Language.'

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George Daniel

During their short stint, Matt shared how happy he is to see all their Pinoy fans.

"We are very happy to be here. It's always a great experience coming to Manila, because we are kind of about 10 times bigger than we should be," Matt said.

The band then continued singing some of their fan-favorite songs, including 'Robbers,' 'Somebody Else,' 'Sex', and 'fallingforyou.'

The concert got more exciting as they sang "About You" to which the fans sang the lyrics, "There was something about you that I can't remember now. It's the same damn thing that made my heart surrender, and I miss you on a train, I miss you in the morning; I never know what to think about you."

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Ross MacDonald

Another highlight of the concert was when Matt asked the audience to put down their phone before he performed the song "Me."

'We're conditioned to validate our experiences. The truth is, we don't really like doing it. It makes us feel a bit silly, so just put your phones down… Just have one moment where it's just us, and trust me, it'll have more value than the constant phone thing,' Matt said.

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Adam Hann

The first day of the concert capped off with flashing lights while performing their song "Give Yourself A Try'" from their third studio album, 'A Brief Inquiry Into Online Relationships.'

During the second day of the concert, the band did a surprise song for the crowd: "The City," after a fan request.